Chapter 72 TECHNOLOGY refuses OEM manufacturing; we only serve Europe and America.

The overhead light in the hallway had a loose connection and flickered twice with a buzzing sound.

Lu Jingming followed behind Shen Qingqiu, his leather shoes clicking against the terrazzo floor.

The smell of pickled vegetable noodles and sweat from the lab was completely blown away by the cold air from the central air conditioning.

Shen Qingqiu pushed open the glass door of the office, her steps hurried.

Her high heel caught on the threshold.

She steadied herself against the doorframe, not bothering to straighten her ruffled skirt.

"Let me look..." She pulled open the drawer, her slender fingers searching through the business card holder.

The paper rustled.

She pulled out a gold-embossed business card. "Vice President Lin Jianye of TSMC Greater China Region."

Lu Jingming strolled in and pulled over a guest chair.

He crossed his legs and leaned back against the chair.

He took the crushed cigarette from his pocket and put it in his mouth.

He didn't light it.

Old Chen, draped in a military overcoat, led the fat old man and Old Zhou into the office.

The old man was wheezing heavily and plopped down on the sofa.

"Turn… turn on the speakerphone." Chen Guoan stared at the black desk phone. "I want to hear what these Taiwan compradors have to say."

Shen Qingqiu pressed the speakerphone button, her fingers punching the keypad rapidly.

"Beep—beep—"

The long tones echoed in the spacious room.

It rang for a full half-minute before someone finally picked up on the other end.

"Hello?"

It was the voice of a middle-aged man, with a careless drawl mixed with the crisp sound of a golf club hitting a ball.

"Who is this?"

Shen Qingqiu took a deep breath and straightened her back.

"Vice President Lin, sorry to bother you. This is Shen Qingqiu from Xinghai Technology."

There was silence on the other end for two seconds.

Then came the sound of a lighter flipping open.

"Oh, if it isn't the God of Wealth Shen from Xinghai?"

Vice President Lin Jianye's tone was dripping with sarcasm.

"What brings you to call me? Aren't you busy battling the giants in Silicon Valley?"

Shen Qingqiu ignored the jab and got straight to the point.

"Vice President Lin, Xinghai has a 28-nanometer chip mask layout."

She tapped her fingers on the desk. "We want to run a pilot production at your factory. We don't need much capacity, just an initial order of 100,000 units."

Old Zhou held his breath.

100,000 units—this was definitely a huge order.

Vice President Lin Jianye's exaggerated laughter came through the phone.

"28 nanometers? CEO Shen, are you joking?"

He seemed to be talking to someone next to him. "These copycat phone makers say they've drawn up 28-nanometer blueprints!"

A few snickers could be heard in the background.

Shen Qingqiu's face darkened, but she suppressed her temper.

"Vice President Lin, the blueprints are absolutely fine. We know the rules."

She glanced at Lu Jingming and emphasized her words.

"We'll pay a 30% premium on your standard foundry rates. Xinghai will pay the full amount upfront."

A 30% premium.

Full payment upfront.

In the foundry industry, anyone hearing these terms would have to call her their own father.

Chu Xuan leaned against the doorframe, rubbing his hands and muttering.

"Throwing that much money around, even a pig would be grinning from ear to ear."

But Vice President Lin Jianye on the other end didn't even pause.

"Oh, CEO Shen, I'm truly sorry."

He drawled, the mockery in his tone practically overflowing.

"Forget a 30% premium; even if you offered double, I still couldn't take this job."

Old Chen furrowed his brows and slapped the leather sofa.

"You won't make money when it's offered? Are you running a charity?" The old man couldn't help but interject.

"And who is this old gentleman?"

Vice President Lin Jianye sneered, switching to a patronizing tone.

"Money is a good thing, but you have to live to spend it."

He flicked his cigarette ash. "CEO Shen, don't you have any idea what your Xinghai has done?"

"The U.S. Department of Commerce just issued an internal notice yesterday. Qualcomm has also spoken with our bosses."

Vice President Lin Jianye clicked his tongue.

"Your Xinghai Technology is now the number one dangerous element on the Entity List."

"Whoever gets involved with you will have their underlying technology licenses cut off by Silicon Valley."

Shen Qingqiu dug her nails into the desk, her knuckles turning white.

"Vice President Lin, business is business. This is monopolistic exclusion. Is TSMC really willing to be a lackey for the Americans?"

"Don't put it so harshly."

Vice President Lin Jianye laughed it off. "TSMC opens its doors for business, and we value harmony as the source of wealth."

"But our advanced process production lines are meant to serve high-end European and American clients."

He paused, then suddenly lowered his voice, his malicious sarcasm crashing through the speaker.

"These blueprints of yours, they're probably just defective scraps fished out of some foreigner's trash can."

"Bullshit!"

Old Zhou was shaking with rage, pointing at the phone and cursing.

"That was drawn with our own blood and sweat in the lab! You shameless lackey!"

Vice President Lin Jianye ignored Old Zhou's curses entirely.

"Private enterprises in China should have a little self-awareness."

His tone was filled with condescending arrogance.

"Go back to Huaqiangbei and play with your assembly work. Just use your soldering irons to weld plastic bricks and earn some hard-earned pocket change."

Vice President Lin Jianye sneered.

"Don't bring your scraps of paper and dirty our high-end TSMC production lines."

"You—" Shen Qingqiu's lips trembled with anger.

"Beep."

Before she could finish, the other side cut off the call.

The harsh busy signal echoed in the office.

It was like a resounding slap in the face for everyone present.

Old Chen stood up abruptly in anger.

His vision went black, and he swayed twice.

The fat old man quickly steadied him. "Take it easy, Old Chen! These comprador lackeys will get their comeuppance sooner or later!"

"Bastards! This is bullying!"

Old Chen pointed at the desk phone, his finger trembling like a leaf in the wind.

"They'd rather lick the heels of the Americans than earn money from their own people! These spineless cowards!"

Chu Xuan grabbed his center-parted hair, pacing at the door in anxiety.

"It's over. If even TSMC won't take the order, who else in the world can manufacture this?"

Old Zhou slumped against the wall, the light in his eyes fading away bit by bit.

"It's a dead end."

He covered his face, his voice dry.

"With one word from the Americans, all the foundries in the world will close their doors to us. Our blueprints… they really have become waste paper."

Shen Qingqiu sank into her chair.

She looked at the empty contact information for the foundries on her computer screen, feeling a wave of dizziness.

Having money but nowhere to spend it.

This feeling of frustration was more despairing than having the money stolen outright.

Lu Jingming didn't speak.

He sat in the chair, maintaining his position leaning against the backrest.

The cigarette he had been biting was now in his hand, he didn't know when he had taken it out.

His slender fingers applied slight pressure.

"Snap."

A crisp sound of tobacco snapping rang out.

He had snapped the cigarette in two.

Shredded yellow tobacco leaves fell down, landing on his black T-shirt.

A few stuck into the flesh between his fingers, bringing a faint stinging sensation.

Lu Jingming lifted his head.

He stared at the black desk phone that was emitting a busy signal.

The casual smile in his eyes had long since vanished completely.

In its place was a bottomless, cold glare.

It was like a starving wolf that had been provoked, staring at prey that had trespassed into its territory.

He tossed the crushed cigarette butt in his hand onto the desk.

The butt rolled twice on the wood grain and stopped.

"Fine."

Lu Jingming spoke, his voice not loud, but it carried shards of ice that scraped against the eardrums of everyone present.

He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees.

His gaze was fixed intently on the telephone receiver.

"Remember what you said today."

Lu Jingming pulled the corner of his mouth into a chilling arc.

"In the future, even if you kneel at the gates of Donghai City, don't beg me."